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Rocky Road Celebration Cake

I’m back! After a few weeks of resting the old broken arm, I am now mobile and full of energy and ready for some serious baking. I thought I’d crash back onto the blogging scene with something fancy, so I present to you this monstrously imposing and ridiculously delicious absurdity of a creation; 2 layers of rich, fluffy chocolate cake sandwiched together with slatherings of peanut swiss meringue buttercream, filled with raspberries, shredded coconut and mini marshmallows. I couldn’t help but drizzle the whole thing in dark chocolate ganache prior to piling rocky road and crunchy peanuts on top… Whoops.

All in honour of an absolutely legendary, clever, loyal, brave and magnificent man in my life; my little brother! To celebrate his recent entry into adulthood, I put together this enormous cake to feed his friends. Suffice to say it’s been 3 days, and we’re stilling hacking our way through the leftovers. But what’s a good cake without enough to eat for breakfast over the next week? I’ve included a note on how to reduce the size of the cake, if it isn’t a small army that you plan to feed. Enjoy!

Melt the butter and chocolate until almost smooth, either in the microwave or in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir until smooth, then set aside to cool.

Beat the eggs, sugars and vanilla for 5 minutes on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Turn the speed to low, and gradually beat in the melted chocolate and butter.

Sift the flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a separate mixing bowl. With the beater on low speed, alternate between adding 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then 1/3 of the yoghurt to the batter, mixing gently between each addition until just incorporated. Do not over beat.

Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared tin. Bang on the counter a few times to remove any bubbles, then use a spatula to smooth the surface. Bake the cake on a central rack for 45-55 minutes, rotating halfway to ensure even baking. The cake is cooked when a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean but moist.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin on a metal rack for 30 minutes, then turn out and leave to cool completely. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice off the domed top, then slice the cake evenly into 2 layers.

Peanut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

In a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently hand-whisk the egg whites and sugar until sugar has just dissolved and mixture appears white (5-10 minutes). Alternatively, use a candy thermometer to whisk until temperature of mixture reaches 70°C/160°F. Ensure you whisk gently but constantly, so that egg whites do not cook.

Transfer mixture to the large bowl of an electric mixer, and whisk on medium/low speed until meringue is thick and glossy and holds its peaks, and the bowl feels neutral to touch. It is very important that you whisk until the bowl no longer feels warm, otherwise the butter will melt when added. Whisk for 10-15 minutes, and if the bowl is still warm, turn mixer off and allow meringue to cool further. This will ensure you do not over-whisk meringue. Double check the temperature of the meringue by turning off the mixer, and dipping a clean finger into the centre of the meringue. It should feel room temperature.

Once cooled, swap whisk attachment for paddle attachment. With the mixer on its lowest possible speed, gradually add butter one cube at a time, beating for a few seconds between each addition. The buttercream will suddenly loosen and may appear thin or scrambled as you go, but just keep beating on low speed until all of the butter is incorporated.

Once all of the butter is added to the buttercream, continue beating on a low speed for a minute or two. The buttercream should be thick and glossy. If it is too thin, the butter was too soft when added, so refrigerate buttercream for 15 minutes to firm up and then continue beating. If it appears too thick or scrambled (literally like scrambled eggs!) the butter was too cold when added, so keep beating on low speed until buttercream is smooth. Add the salt, vanilla, crushed peanuts and cocoa powder, and beat for another 30 seconds to combine.

Dollop a spoonful of buttercream on your cake board or serving plate, and secure the first cake layer upside down. Dollop 2/3 of buttercream onto the first layer, then spread evenly right up to 2 cm from the edge using a butterknife or small offset spatula. Sprinkle the frozen raspberries, mini marshmallows and coconut over the frosting, patting them in gently with your hands. Place the second cake layer down, pressing gently from the centre outwards to spread the buttercream to the edges.

Using the rest of the buttercream, frost a coating over the entire cake by dolloping the remaining buttercream on the top surface, spreading it out until it falls over the sides of the cake, and then spreading it evenly around the sides. Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes, until buttercream is firm to touch

Use a clean metal spatula, butterknife or benchscraper to smooth the surfaces of the cake, scraping the frosting back until you can just see the layers underneath. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

Meanwhile, place the chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, and stir until nearly melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until completely melted. Cover and set aside for 25-30 minutes until lukewarm.

Remove the cake from the fridge, and pour the ganache over the centre of the cake, and use a butter knife or small offset spatula to gently spread it over the surface, almost to the edges, until it starts to spill over. If you like, place some ganache in a snap-lock/piping bag, snip a tiny piece off the corner of the bag, and pipe some extra drizzles off the edges of the cake.

Roughly chop the rocky road and pile it on top of the cake before the ganache sets.

Make sure the cake has been out of the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving, to ensure the cake and buttercream are soft and at room temperature.

Store the cake covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days, but best served within 1-2 days of baking. Bring to room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: The cake can be made up to 2 days in advance, and stored in an airtight container. Swiss meringue buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week, or frozen for up to 6-8 weeks, prior to the addition of the honeycomb. Before using it to frost your cake, allow it to cool to room temperature, then beat on medium speed using an electric mixture until it retains its silky, soft consistency. This can take up to 20 minutes, so be patient if the texture looks a little strange. Beat in the peanuts. For ease, if possible prepare the SMB immediately before you frost your cake.